


A Holiday Interlude

by imargarita



Series: Feels Like Home [3]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Multi PoVs, No Porn, Still no plot, it's late (timewise) and this fic is late (temporally), it's stil Dec 10th here so winning, mentions of hooking up with other people, no endgame it's just a drabble, nothing happens, still love Ben's POV, this did not go the way i thought it was going, this is all unresolved dancing aroudn each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:14:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21755488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imargarita/pseuds/imargarita
Summary: Previously, Ben and Rey hooked up - which was probably a bad idea given that Ben is her boss, and Rey is his intern. To get the taste of each other out of their mouths, they've hooked up with other people already (said in passing, not actually happening in this story). They meet up at the holiday party thrown by Leia, the company's CEO. This scene exists as filler before the next chapter in my WIP, A Thousand Years.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: Feels Like Home [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1247486
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	A Holiday Interlude

**Author's Note:**

> To my fellow Reylos, 
> 
> I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the amazing ride. I haven’t loved a ship in a very long time, and this community reignited the spark in me. Come what may, it’s almost over and I hope to see you all on the other side after the movie ends. 
> 
> I’m hoping for the best but if the screen doesn’t deliver the HEA that Ben and Rey deserve, I’ll come back to this space and continue to read your amazing stories. 
> 
> As my holiday gift to the community I’m posting an interlude of my current series Feels Like Home. I finished Feels Like Home over a year ago for the Reylo Charity Anthology (which I’m doing again in January, take a look and support it if you’re so moved). Feels Like Home is done and can be found in Vol 1 of the Charity Anthology, but it’s on pause on A03 as I fill in Ben’s side of the story in A Thousand Years. Apologies for the long wait between updates, and thank you for those who have dropped in to check in. I am beyond humbled by your interest in my little stories.
> 
> This story doesn’t make a lot of sense without reading A Thousand Years, but the mood struck… but at least it’s holiday themed! 
> 
> Your sister in reylo,
> 
> imargarita

The party was in full swing when he enters the large ballroom of the Solo Estate. The “public” rooms were decorated by one of the city’s high-end designers and an 18 feet flocked Christmas tree dominates the center of the room decked in white lights, ribbons, pearls, and blue accents. The theme is carried throughout the room in the table centerpieces, linens, and accents. The decoration has some whimsy to it, blue butterflies are hidden with the Swarovski snowflakes, as this is one of the few events that the Solos put on to just enjoy company and not as a fundraiser.

Soft holiday music provided a soundtrack to the afternoon, and he hums along to Wham’s _Last Christmas_ for a few seconds before he realizes what he is doing it. “Damn. Whamaggedon,” he mutters and a woman near him realizes that she too has lost the game.

He walks the length of the ballroom, and people move to let him pass. He’s a prince among men, and he smiles at everyone who meets his gaze. There are soft smiles for friends of his parents, flirty ones for many of them women near his age, and even for a few of the grandmothers who call him incorrigible. He spots two of his distant cousins, peeking from under the table. He gives them the widest smiles and they return it before disappearing under their makeshift tent.

His father – if he is a prince, then his father is definitely a king – is holding court near the large fireplace at the at the opposite end of the room. They make eye contact, but the older man continues to talk to a tall brunette standing before him. His mother, he sees, is similarly situated on the opposite end of the fireplace with another group of young people.

As he gets closer, he admires the way the woman’s ass fills her short green dress, and how pretty her slim ankles are in her silver heels. Someone with an ass like that has got to be a little cute, he thinks. When he finally reaches the group, his father is saying, “Have you met my son?”

He is surprised when the woman answers, a slight British lilt to her voice, “No. But I’ve heard a little about him.”

“All good things, I hope,” he murmurs as he moves to stand next to her. She is even taller up close; he only needs to tip his head just a little to meet her gaze. _Her eyes are mesmerizing._

They are a mix of brown, green, and gray – the colors he associates most with the Pacific Northwest: dirt under his feet, the trees around him, and the gray skies above him. _And damn she’s more than cute, she’s beautiful._ The afternoon is suddenly very interesting. Especially if he gets her number.

“We’re at an impasse. I don’t know yours. Yet.” holds out his hand, winking at her. No one can resist the Skywalker charm.

Except maybe she can, he thinks as she looks at his outstretched hand for longer than a beat, before placing her own in his. Her hands are cold, but there’s no drink in sight and the room is warm. Her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes, and he wants to fix that – what will as smile look like from this girl, and how fast could he ask her out? He was planning their first date, something fancy, dancing, his room – and then she introduced herself properly. “Rey. I work for your cousin Ben. It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Skywalker.”

He drops her hand immediately, though no one else seems to notice the _faux pas_. How he manages not to bust out laughing is really a testament to his upbringing. O _h shit_ , he thinks but pauses for a few seconds before saying, “Please. Call me Jacen. Or Jace. Dr. Skywalker’s a little formal… and my apologies - I don’t envy you. Working for Ben can’t be easy.”

Her eyes narrow, and she folds her hands in front of her, clutching her small silver bag. A server passes at the same time, so he reaches for a glass, trying to drink down his laughter. This is the girl that Ben has lost his shit over. _Jesus Christ._

His father is still talking. “Rey wants to be a lawyer, Jacen. Which is OK I guess, but tell her that her talents are wasted at the Foundation and she should test out SkyTech. Tell all these interns, to give the profit side a chance.”

Luke Skywalker, CEO of Skywalker Technologies, laughs at his own joke, as if he isn’t the Chairman of the Foundation and as if his son isn’t working for a research hospital. Luke introduces the other two interns to his son. Jacen shakes their hands vigorously, genuinely interested in what they are doing at the Foundation. Neither of them is in legal, Mark is a public policy major and the Della wants to be a nurse.

As they speak for a few more minutes, Rey relaxes just a little, though she still clutched her little bag to her, keeping her hands close. Her eyes dart from Luke to Jacen to the entrance of the ballroom, looking for someone – and Jacen knows it’s Ben.

He immediately realizes she isn’t Ben’s type. She is beautiful in that effortless way he prefers, her cheeks pink from drink or the heat in the room. His cousin prefers them perfect, unattainable, cold. Not to say they both don’t appreciate beauty, or that they haven’t shared the same girl a few times. But Rey definitely falls on his side of the spectrum.

When Luke asks if anyone wants to go to the buffet, Rey declines and Jacen finds himself alone with her. They move to one of the high tables.

* * *

They don’t look alike, thank god, Rey thinks as she watches Jacen Skywalker. He and Ben are of an almost equal height, maybe Ben has an inch on Jacen; but in her heels her she still has to tip her head back to look him in the eye.

Where Ben is built like a refrigerator, Jacen is slim. Ben has dark hair and is pale, Jacen takes after his father in coloring with cool blue eyes, and short light brown hair. He’s classically handsome, and is easier going than Ben. So many pros.

But the most important con, _he’s not Ben._

“So, you’re a doctor?” She asks, as she watches him grab another drink. She doesn’t want to drink, not on an empty stomach, and she’s not hungry. _Still._ Her appetite had been almost non-existent since that night with Ben.

“Yes. I work a Children’s Hospital. I’ve been very blessed, and my family has always believed that we need to give back to the same community that has given us so much.”

Even if it was probably rehearsed, and something that a PR machine had written for them, it sounded sincere. And Rey could spot a faker from a mile away. He was the real deal. Rich, good looking, and a doctor. “That’s very admirable…. Pediatric surgery right?”

He runs his hand through his hair in a move that reminds Rey too much of Ben, but the sheepish look is all him. “Ben tell you that?”

Rey doesn’t remember much of what she and Ben talked about at the tail end of the night. She remembers instead the feel of every part of him on every part of her, the press of his sheets at her back, the unbelievable way he filled her. She can feel the ghost of his lips on the juncture of her neck and she shivers. “He’s very proud of you – and your sister.”

Jacen smiles easily at that. “We’re very close.”

“I figured… when you earlier, let go of my hand.”

This time Jacen bristles. “It wasn’t anything personal. I promise.”

She nods. She doesn’t want to talk about it, she doesn’t even want to dance around it, she wants to ignore it completely. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“How was your Christmas?” he asks and takes two drinks off the tray this time. It’s no fun being the sober one. She watches him drink, he takes his time with the glass, almost emptying it before offering her the other glass.

She shakes her head again but answers him, “I spent it with Finn and Poe.”

It had been nice. Finn was the best. And Poe followed her lead on the Ben thing. _Ben isn’t a thing. Not anymore. It was never going to be a thing, Rey._

“You’re not from Washington?” Jacen asks. “The accent.”

She shrugs not answering. She _was_ born in Seattle, her birth certificate one of the few documents her mother actually kept around. The accent is Rey’s last connection to a mother who killed herself.

“Where’s your family?” Jacen tries again.

“London.” She had called them yesterday and it had been good. She misses them, but she isn’t that big a fan of London. She was a gypsy like her mother, with no home. “What about you. What does a Skywalker Christmas look like?”

“Usually it’s a nice dinner on Christmas Eve at my parents’ house, including Auntie Leia, Uncle Han, and Ben. Then we’re off to the Cathedral for midnight mass. But this year, Ben didn’t get back from Rwanda until early Christmas morning; so, we had dinner, prime rib and turkey at 8:00 AM after he got some sleep. My mother and Auntie Leia are very serious about their Christmas routine.”

She nods, “Jess let me stay at her place so I was there when she got in. I was watching her cat.”

“First a shitty boss, and then a shitty gig watching that cat. Does it still like to jump on people on the couch?”

“You’re familiar with Ninja?” She sounds incredulous.

“I am. Jess and I are friends.”

She raises an eyebrow at that.

“Friends who had benefits, but don’t anymore. Better?” He empties his drink.

So even if they don’t really look alike, it seems they have the same _modus operandi_. “Just friends? Friends with benefits? Nothing more?”

“We didn’t want more. She and I were very clear on that. We sat down and said words that proved we were on the same page. It prevents a lot of miscommunication.” He leaves the rest unsaid.

She had been so scared, waking up in his condo and he hadn’t been there. The note next to the edge But she answers his unspoken question in her head: running away from Ben’s condo, going to a frat party later that night, and hooking up with someone from her Politics of International Law class did not scream good communication. “Was the prime rib good?”

* * *

Ben is tired as fuck. He hasn’t recuperated from the long ass flight from Rwanda – 20 hours – and the sleep he finally got when he landed was fitful. But no matter how tired he is, he is first and foremost a good son – _now at least, now that he has come home to the fold_ – and the Solo Boxing Day party is important to his parents.

He is short but polite when people try to stop him as he moves through the room. He doesn’t stop to speak with anyone who tries. _For fuck’s sake he is on vacation_ and all he wants is a drink to start, and then several drinks to follow that first drink. He constantly thumbs at his phone in his pocket. He wants to text Rey that he’s back. That’s appropriate right? Just to give her an update that everything went well in Rwanda, and that they will likely break ground on the university by the end of next summer.

Maybe he should text Jaina. Or Jacen. The safety of his cousins is something he needs. He heads towards the back of the room, where his Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara usually hold court. He stops when he sees Rey and Jacen, their heads together deep in conversation.

He wonders if he can throw his phone hard enough to hit Jacen on the head from here. _What the actual fuck._

The time away from her has done nothing. The few women he has fucked to forget her have done nothing. When he went home last night and put his head on his pillow, he could still smell her, even though it has been weeks, even though his housecleaner has definitely washed all his sheets. _She needs to stop being his intern yesterday._

He’s a moth to her flame. He watches them for a few more minutes, though his attention is more on Rey than Jacen. The gray Seattle skies are an hour from true night, but the candlelight on the table still gives her a soft glow. Her hair is loose and wavy around her shoulders and he can feel the strands against his fingers. When she gestures with her hand, emphasizing whatever she is saying to Jacen, he follows their path in the air, and he can feel her fingers on him. _Still._

_Fuck her one more time. Get her out of your system._ He laughs at himself. That one night together he had her several times, several ways, and he wanted her more each time. He wants her now.

_When you know, you know._ His father’s voice whispers in his head and he looks around, thinking his father is playing tricks on him. But Han is nowhere to be found. He’s probably on the balcony smoking with Lando and Chewie.

Or worse, Han could be making out with Leia somewhere. Like teenagers. Ben has grown up knowing his parents are unusual in their love for each other. Lando confirms that there hasn’t been any slowdown to how much they can’t keep their hands off each other after almost 30 years together. _Kiddo, I think Han might actually want your mom more now than when he was in his prime_ , Lando had once said in confidence. That had only been a few years ago.

Ben more than anyone knows this is still the case. He calls before he visits, because since he’s been back in Seattle, he has walked in on them _in flagrante delicto,_ and there is not enough bleach in the world to get the vision of his father mouthing at his mother’s breast no matter how sex positive he has been raised.

And even when Han and Leia are fully clothed, it’s as if they’re tied together by a string. They enjoy orbiting each other, and when they are in the same space, they’re constantly touching, cuddling, giving each other small (and not so small) kisses. For his part he thought that maybe his parents’ _enthusiasm_ for each other had skipped him. He enjoyed fucking, he enjoyed taking women out on dates even. His few serious relationships had been pleasant the sex fantastic… but he never just wants to be with someone in the same space.

He feels like he’s on a string right now. He wonders what would happen if they really were and he pulled on it, made her look at him. Maybe he’s just staring hard enough and Rey has that sixth sense; or maybe when he fucked her over and over all those weeks ago, he hit something deep inside her that pulls her to him; because as he feels his blood boiling she raises her head and stares at him straight on.

_Don’t you fucking dare look away._

She does and he is storming over to confront them. _How dare she._

“Ben!” Jacen clap him on the back and smiles widely. “Your intern is a pleasure.”

Jacen is like his brother. There is nothing that can come between them, but when Jacen says the word pleasure and looks at Rey, Ben wants to punch his cousin in the mouth. Rey is exactly Jacen’s type, and Jacen is everyone’s type. _Over my dead body._

“Hello, Ben. How are you?” her voice is steady but she looks at a point below his direct gaze.

He shrugs. “Tired. Phase I of Rwanda was a success.”

“Jess told me! Congratulations!” This time her smile is genuine. Ah yes, she was housesitting while Jess was with him in Rwanda.

“She was telling me about how Ninja is still alive. Dammit,” Jacen interrupted. “How is that geriatric cat still alive? It’s got to be at least 50.”

Ben shrugs. He has no idea how old Jess’s cat is. He has some inane desire to grab Rey’s hand and drag her upstairs to his bedroom. He wants to shut the world out and fuck her into his mattress. He is pretty sure there are still condoms up there. Knowing Leia, she has the staff make sure the expired ones are replaced.

“We should celebrate. Gather everyone around and celebrate your success in Rwanda,” Rey proposes. She’s looking around, probably for Poe and Finn.

He had promised her champagne, he remembers. Though Leia only provides local wines at this event to support the community. There’s probably sparkling wine, but it’s not the same; and Phase I is not important enough to celebrate with champagne. Maybe when the university is built, he’ll order champagne for the entire executive team in Seattle, but right now the contracts and procuring the land is only a small stepping stone.

_Small steps are always important, Ben. Have I not taught you anything?_ This time it’s is mother’s voice in his head. He can take her advice.

“We should show Rey the real tree,” Jacen says, almost forgotten except for that fact that he’s standing a little too close to Rey.

The real tree is far removed from the perfectly decorated room they are currently in. It’s the tree in the room that the Solos spend the most time in. The real tree is for family. Ben can take Jacen’s advice too.

“Of course, there’s more than one tree. But what makes it real?” Rey asks and she can’t mask the curiosity in her voice.

“I’ll give you the grand tour,” Ben says. “Though I don’t see you eating?”

“I wasn’t hungry,” she answers. “Before. I wasn’t hungry before… but I could eat now? And then you could show me your tree?”

He nods. He wants to take her hand, curl it in his own. He wants to lead her to the buffet line, walk her through it and find out what food she doesn’t like – she hasn’t turned anything down in his presence yet. He can picture her trying to put all the food on one small serving plate, and it makes his smile. He suggests, “We can share a few plates, so you can try everything.”

“OK.” She’s smiling up at him, and it’s relaxed finally. Her makeup covers her makeup and he thinks it’s a fucking crime.

It’s Jacen who coughs and breaks the silence. “You guys go ahead. I’m going to go find Jaina, and see if she wants to join. See you in,” he looks down at his watch, “fifteen?”

Ben nods. He’ll take fifteen minutes alone with her. Small steps.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for those who were only expecting original work for the Advent Calendar. This drabble segues into the next chapter of my fic A Thousand Years which I started writing in spring, but I think I needed it to be the holidays to get into the right headspace.
> 
> It's late here, but still Dec 10. I'll correct words and links in the next few days, thanks again everyone and thanks @Semperfidani for the chance to get this out of my head.


End file.
